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Ezra 7 (Part 1) Bible Study (Ezra Sent to Teach the People) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Book of Ezra Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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Ezra Chapter 7. And perhaps you are already
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there. Let's turn now to Ezra Chapter
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7. And before we begin this new
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chapter, it's important to remind ourselves of some things
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that we've studied up to this point #1 when the Babylonians
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removed the Jews from Jerusalem into exile, that took place in
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three major waves over a period of time.
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In like matter, when these same exiles would return to
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Jerusalem, it would also take place over 3 successive cycles
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over a period of time. And that's what we've been
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looking at these Friday nights. And if you didn't know,
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everything that we have covered from Ezra chapter 1 to Ezra
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chapter 6 occurred during the first wave of refugees coming
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back to their native land. And what we are going to
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discover now in this new chapter is the second major group of
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Jews who will make their way back to their homeland as well.
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Now, in that first wave between chapters one to chapter 6, this
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was an initiative led by a man named no Zerubbabel Zerubbel,
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who was a selected governor to oversee the Jews and to also
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oversee the reconstruction of the what?
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The temple. Very good.
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Now, as we come to this chapter, we're going to witness once
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again the second major group heading their way back to
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Jerusalem, led by a man by the name of Ezra, very good Ezra,
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the very same Ezra that this book is named after.
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So for the first time in this book, we are finally going to
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encounter Ezra the man, and he's going to take up the subject of
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our study tonight. Now we have to establish the
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historical setting for this pivotal moment.
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It is generally believed that from the completion of the
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Second Temple to this moment here, 60 years had passed.
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In other words, the end of Chapter 6 to the beginning of
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Chapter 7. In that interval time around 6
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decades have occurred, have advanced.
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So we're fast forwarding quite a bit of time here, and this is
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something for us to consider. During the same period of time,
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the story of Esther took place, which is a fascinating thought,
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isn't it? Moreover, we also are about to
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learn that Darius, the king of Persia, who was the Last King
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that we've been studying, is no longer alive.
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And now a king by the name of Arctic Xerxes is going to rule
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the Persian Empire. And he's also going to provide
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help to Ezra and the rest of the Jews who follow him by providing
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substantial support and the advancement of the restoration
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of God's people in Jerusalem. So keep this in mind.
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What we are reading here with Ezra is 60 years after the
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temple was completed and 80 years after the first Jews under
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Cyrus's reign went back to Jerusalem.
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So with that background clarified, let us begin to read
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Ezra Chapter 7, verses 1 down to verse 5.
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Are you with me there? Now after this, what's the after
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this? The completion of the Second
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Temple, but also 60 years, nearly 60 years forward.
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Now after this, in the reign of Arctic Xerxes, king of Persia,
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Ezra the son of Soraya, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of
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Shalom, son of Zadok, son of Ahitab, son of Amariah, son of
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Azariah, son of Mirayath, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzi, son of
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Buki, son of Abashua, son of Phineas, son of Eliezer, son of
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Aaron the chief priest. It's interesting, isn't it?
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The first thing that we are introduced to as we encounter
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Ezra is his genealogy, and it's a very detailed 1, though some
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names are omitted. Now, why is the Holy Spirit
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beginning this chapter by informing us about the lineage
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of this man? Well, we learned from it that
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Ezra is what, by way of occupation?
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He's a priest. His family line traces back to
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Aaron. And again, the reason why God
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wants us to know this from the outset is to establish that
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Ezra's spiritual leadership is legitimized.
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It is authorized by God himself. You have to remember when we
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looked at the first genealogy in the book of Ezra, remember in
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Ezra chapter 2, all those lists of names Among that initial
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group were some Levites who could not validate their
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ancestry, and because of that, they were excluded from the
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priesthood. But what we're discovering about
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Ezra is that he was not among them.
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He's he was someone who could indeed prove that he was from
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the priestly line. And therefore his function as
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the spiritual leader of this generation was legitimized.
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It was approved. It was sanctioned by God.
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Now, that is the main take away from these first 5 verses, but
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there are wonderful applications that glean from them, and I want
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you to consider a couple. Number one, from this list of
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names that relate to Ezra, we learned this, or at least we're
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reminded of it. God requires credentials from
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those who aspire to be leaders in His Kingdom.
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Thankfully, under the New Covenant, to be a spiritual
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leader, the priestly role is not limited to a specific bloodline
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or a tribe or a nationality, as we see here with Ezra now.
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Instead, one of the glories of the New Covenant is that the
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privileges that were once reserved for Israel, even tribes
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within Israel, are now shared with the Gentiles.
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And that's why Peter has the audacity to write to Gentile
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believers and say something like this.
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And first, Peter 29, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
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a holy nation, a people for his own possession.
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For the longest time that was language, and those were titles
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exclusive to the people of Israel, and now Peter is
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ascribing this to Gentiles. I don't think even a Christian
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can fully appreciate just how radical of a shift this is
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unless they have first familiarized themselves and
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expose themselves to the long pattern of the Old Testament.
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It's been one way for so long, and once Christ enters onto the
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scene and inaugurates the New Covenant, so much now has
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changed. This is why it was so scandalous
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to the Jews, and it was so difficult even for Jewish
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believers in the Messiah to understand how these Gentiles
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are now grafted in to the Commonwealth of Israel.
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And it would have been equally shocking to the Gentile.
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You're telling me that we now are a part of this?
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It's just really one of the marvels that the Gospel makes
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possible. However, however, this
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inclusiveness in the gospel does not mean that God has changed
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his standards for those who are to be leaders in the church.
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So in the Old Covenant, a candidate to be a leader,
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specifically a priest, had to prove his eligibility through
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genealogy, right? That's what Ezra is doing here.
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I want to let you know the reason why I can do what I'm
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about to do in this story is because I come from the ironic
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line. In the New Covenant, however, a
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leader in the church primarily validates his candidacy through
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three things. Three things #1 character.
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How do you live? Is it consistent with the truth?
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Is there habitual sin? Are there things that you are
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doing that disqualify you? Character is the first thing.
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The second thing is conviction. What do you believe?
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Is it in alignment with the truth?
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Is in alignment with orthodox Christianity.
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There's a contradictive word of God.
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If you're going to be a leader, especially an elder, you're
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going to be teaching. So what do you believe?
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So character, conviction and thirdly, capacity.
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Do you even have the gift to lead others?
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Do you have the ability to instruct and to inspire your
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fellow man? And so these are the things that
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are considered by way of summary in the new covenant.
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And here's how this applies to all of us.
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I believe that all of us in here, at least I hope to believe
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that all of us in here are serious about the local church.
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And if we are serious about the local church, then we should
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also be aware that we can never under any circumstance lower the
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standard for what God demands for leaders in his church.
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Never. You got to remember in Ezra's
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time, they were rebuilding their spiritual identity for so many
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years. They had lost their their temple
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and their priestly functions and their sacrificial system that
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that was done away with because of their their sinfulness.
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And now they're trying to restore it.
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And there was a temptation there perhaps for just anybody to
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almost fill that role for the priest.
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But right from the beginning of Ezra, we learned that they
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never, ever overlooked or dismissed what God had required
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for those who would serve as priests.
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They protected that. And what you find in a lot of
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churches is that out of desperation or even frustration,
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they'll they'll kind of just put anybody who is like half
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qualified to serve in a leadership role just to fill
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that role. That is disastrous.
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That is disastrous for the person who takes that role and
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for those who are under that person's leadership.
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And So what we reminded here, even in Ezra's story is no, God
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has requirements and we have to honor them.
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And we also have to trust that God is the one who ultimately
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raises up leaders from a community.
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Listen, as we study the rest of the book of Ezra, we're going to
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see that one of the ways that God blesses his people is by
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giving them leaders, good leaders, holy leaders,
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insightful leaders, learned leaders.
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And that's what Ezra really is. And it's the church's duty,
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including ours, that as by God's grace, we continue to grow and
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want to align ourselves to His Word, to understand God's
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sovereignty even in the establishment of leadership, and
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to recognize such leaders prayfully and scripturally.
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God takes leadership seriously, and so should we.
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But that's not the only take away from this genealogy.
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Another thing that we can draw from this is that yes, Ezra was
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a priest, but also how his role connects to the meaning of his
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name. Does anybody know what the name
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Ezra means? The Hebrew speaking men I'm sure
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know or brother Christian? Brother Christian's here, he
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should know the name Ezra. Help or help her.
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It's very simple, but so beautiful.
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And think about it now, in this moment of redemptive history,
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God sends a priest to help his people.
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And the very name of this priest reflects that mission.
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And this should remind us that centuries after this, God would
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send another priest, a high priest, a greater high priest
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who would offer greater help to those who would put their faith
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in him. Do you and I remember the words
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of the author of Hebrews in chapter 4, where he says in
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verse 15 and 16. For we do not have a High Priest
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who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in
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every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
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Let us then, with confidence draw near to the throne of
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grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time
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of need. Do you realize that no matter
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the nature of our need, Christ Jesus, our great High Priest,
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beckons us to come to Him because He is ready and eager to
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help us always? He is a strong high priest.
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He is never burdened by the frequency of our request.
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He is never overwhelmed by how many of us come to Him at once
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with our different needs. In fact, fundamentally, the need
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that is in view here is when we are enduring any kind of
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temptation. That's the context.
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Which means what? That in any place, at any time,
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no matter the urge, I can come boldly.
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Not squeamishly, not hesitatingly, not nervously.
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I can come confidently in my weakness before my great High
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Priest and expect him to impart mercy and grace to endure it
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until I escape it. And this is just one of the
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reasons why Christ Jesus is a greater High Priest who offers
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greater help than what Aaron or his descendants offered to God's
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people. Our High Priest is always
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available. He was.
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He is constantly accessible, and he never runs out of supply to
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empower us in our moments of weakness.
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Well, let's come back to Ezra. Now.
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Look at the verses we didn't read.
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I'm sure there's much more we can learn from these names.
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It's clear that Ezra comes from a very rich spiritual heritage.
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But let's read verse 6 Now this Ezra, this Ezra went up from
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Babylonia. He was ascribed, skilled in the
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law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel had given, and the
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king granted him all that he asked for.
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The hand of the Lord his God was on him.
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So now listen, we go from Ezra's genealogy to learning about his
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ability and audacity. His ability and his audacity.
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His ability is clearly indicated by the description that he was
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ascribed skilled in the Law of Moses.
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Now there are different kinds of scribes in the Old Testament,
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but as a represents the religious scribe, what was the
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responsibility of a religious scribe?
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Very simple. He spent most of his energy
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copying scripture very carefully, very meticulously.
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It was a grueling process for a scribe.
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But from copying it, they would also interpret it.
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They they developed, especially from Ezra's time on, they would
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develop the reputation of knowing the word of God and
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teaching it to others. And they were essentially
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protectors of the law. They were students of the law.
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And listen, you and I should be grateful to God for these
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scribes because they were imperative to the preservation
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of the scriptures that you and I are benefiting from today.
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In fact, we are benefiting from the work of Ezra the scribe.
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Now this is his work. Interestingly, this professional
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class of trained men would continue up to the days of the
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Lord Jesus Christ and by then they were highly respected by
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the common Jew, they were very knowledgeable of the Word of God
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and they presented themselves as obedient to it.
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However, how many times we find out the Gospels, the Lord Jesus
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Christ rebuking such men because they have become hypocrites,
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they've become self-righteous, and even more than that, they
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have infused man made tradition to the point that it eclipse the
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supremacy of God's Word. And so Christ constantly
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challenged not just the Pharisees, not just the elders,
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but the scribes, those who are students and those who are
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interpreters and copiers of the written word of God.
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Now let me ask you a question. That is the general kind of
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contention that we find in the Gospel.
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Is there any place in the New Testament where Jesus refers to
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teachers in his Kingdom positively as scribes?
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I see some heads nodding. If you know the answer, where do
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we find that? Where do we find Jesus referring
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to teachers in his kingdoms as scribes in a positive way?
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Any idea? Well, I hope you never forget it
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after tonight. Matthew 13.
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Let's turn there. Matthew 13.
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You know what Matthew 13 is primarily about?
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Short parables, about the Kingdom of heaven.
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And at the end of these short parables, Jesus looks to his
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disciples and he asks them a question.
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I want you to see the question he asks them in verse 51 of
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Matthew 13. The Lord Jesus says and asks,
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have you understood all these things they said to him?
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Yes. Pause for a moment.
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Don't you appreciate that? Jesus Christ wants you to
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understand his word, and it's understandable.
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So he looks at the disciples and says, hey, listen, before we
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move on, have you understood all these things?
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They said, yes, so now look how he follows it up, verse 52.
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And he said to them, Therefore every scribe who has been
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trained for the Kingdom of heaven is like a master of a
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house, who brings out of His treasure what is new and what is
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old. So Christ, after acknowledging
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that they understood what he was teaching, identifies his
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disciples as scribes, as knowledgeable of the Word of
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God, and listen, faithful transmitters of divine truth.
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And I know that he is referring to the apostles and context, but
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this also applies to anybody who teaches God's Word in this way.
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In the same way that a scribe in the Old Testament was intensely
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devoted to knowing the law, a Christian minister must be
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equally devoted to knowing all of God's revelation.
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Listen very carefully, especially for those who are in
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this place and aspire to be a teacher of God's Word.
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In God's house, a pastor is not to be preoccupied with politics.
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He's not to be primarily caught up in culture wars.
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He's not to be one who is a philosopher or an expert in
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psychology. A pastor, a minister in God's
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house, is to be a specialist of the Scriptures.
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That is the subject matter of his expertise.
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That is what he is supposed to be trained in and he's supposed
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to be dependable on. In Jesus's own words and what we
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just read, every single person who's a minister should own a
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storehouse of truth. They should have a treasure
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trove of divine revelation stored up through weeks and
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months and years of preparation and training and sitting at the
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Lord's feet with this word before them.
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And they are supposed to from this storehouse continually
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bring out articles in order to benefit those within the
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household of faith and Ezra as a wonderful model for a righteous,
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serious minded, God fearing scribe and Ezra 76.
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Notice again that it says that he was skilled.
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He was skilled in the law of Moses.
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You know what that means? It's a word in the Hebrew that
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is rarely used in the Old Testament.
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It means that he was an expert. He mastered the word of God.
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And what moves me about this concerning Ezra is that he did
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not become skilled after he arrived at Jerusalem.
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Like it didn't take Ezra to see the temple and draw inspiration
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from it. He didn't have to have his feet
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planted in the promised land to find the motivation to get into
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the law of God. He became skilled in Babylon of
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all places. So what?
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What does that tell me practically?
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Here's what that tells me that Ezra was able to push away all
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the worldly distractions to not be discouraged by the limiting
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circumstances, and he devoted his life to knowing the word of
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God and that made him prepared for God to recruit him and send
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him to be a leader among the second group of exiles.
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And he reveals one of his major motivations for doing so in this
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very same verse in Ezra 76. Did you notice how he speaks
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about the word of God? Look at it again.
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This Ezra went up from Babylonia.
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He was ascribed, skilled in the law of Moses that the Lord, the
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God of Israel had given. Remember, Ezra is the one who's
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writing this, and this is how he speaks about God's written word.
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God had given it. You know how you could translate
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that God's word is a gift from God.
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I can tell you with absolute confidence that this same
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revelation was one of the main motivations for me to read the
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whole Bible when I first walk with Christ.
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Even though a lot of it I did not understand.
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The thing that kept me going through books that are often
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neglected, like Numbers and Leviticus and other prophetic
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books, was this simple understanding.
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I really believe that this is God's word, that out of all the
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things that He could have said throughout history, He has
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compiled this book. I want to know everything it has
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to say. I'm not going to be choosy with
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it. How can I neglect a part of it?
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How can, how can I rest satisfied in my Christian walk
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not at least looking at the entirety of God's Word once.
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And some people haven't done it once and they've been coasting
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through their Christian life for years.
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Ezra understood this thing about God's Word.
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It was given by God. So I'm going to receive it as a
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gift and I'm going to open it up and look at every compartment of
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it and not miss out on one facet.
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You know, honestly, if some Christians gave 50% of their
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energy from looking at conspiracy theories and the news
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to the Word of God, they would explode in their growth between
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now and the summer of 2026. Ezra in Babylonia, with all the
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distractions and all the comforts and all the ministerial
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duties stripped away. Remember, there was no temple in
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Babylon. He still found it within himself
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to say, I I want to know what God's Word has to say.
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Surely scrolls were carried from exile into Babylon.
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Surely over time people brought morsels and portions of the
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scrolls of Sacred Scripture to make it available for men like
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Ezra. And here's what will happen.
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Even if you don't understand everything, God will give you
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understanding as you dedicate yourself to knowing it and
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realizing this is given by God for my soul.
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God has given this to me to know him.
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Oh, there will be greater illumination, and with that
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illumination there'll be greater transformation.
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Which leads us now from Ezra's ability He was skilled to his
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audacity. Audacity means boldness and
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courage to some degree. Where's his audacity found in
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this verse? Look again.
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He approached the king and asked them for certain things.
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Here's what I mean. This second wave of returning
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exiles seems to have been triggered by Ezra personally
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petitioning to the king to be released and to receive support.
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Do you see that phrase there? And the king granted him all
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that he asked. What does that mean?
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That at some point Ezra walked up to Artaxerxes and made a plea
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for him and a new wave of Jews to go back to Jerusalem?
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Now here's what I'm thinking as I'm studying this.
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Why didn't Ezra do this sooner? Is that a legitimate question?
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For me, it is. Why do it now?
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Why at this juncture now we're not given an answer?
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Here's what I believe, though. There is a correlation between
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Ezra knowing the Word of God and him making this move and
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approaching the King for permission to go back to
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Jerusalem. In other words, one way of of
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getting an answer to why now is that as Ezra was studying and
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studying and studying the Word of God, he realized certain
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things about God's future promises for the people of
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Israel. And that emboldened him to go
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before the king with the prayerful hope that he would be
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released and that Ezra with his own eyes would behold the very
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will of God in his lifetime and that he would be an active
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participant in it. So already we're seeing, we're
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seeing something in Ezra's character, are we not?
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He was not just skilled in the law of Moses.
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He wasn't just studied. He actually believed what it
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said and he applied it. You'd be amazed to know how many
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people teach the Bible. But when it comes to stressful
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situations, persecution, trials, temptation, I've met some of
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them, they don't really believe what the Bible has to say.
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They collapse. And sometimes in those
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conversations, you just have to ask, do you really believe what
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you've been preaching all these years now?
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Now it comes to a real life scenario.
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Where's the word of God in your heart?
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Here's what I see in Ezra. He's studying it, he's mastering
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it, he's specializing it. And it so moves in that he says,
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I'm going to the king and I'm going to ask him if we can go
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and I'm going to go with faith and I'm going to go believing
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what God said about restoring his people.
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So let's see what happens. That's what's that's what's
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happening here. And if you're somebody who truly
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believes what God says in his word, I'm not saying this with a
30:28
hint of exaggeration. You 2 will be able to stand
30:31
before kings. If you really comprehend who God
30:35
is, the God that you worship, you will be able to stand before
30:40
anybody, no matter their status, no matter their authority.
30:45
It won't mean a thing. You will not fear any man if you
30:49
stand in the presence of God, living under the banner of His
30:51
divine truth. So we read so much here in verse
30:57
6, but let's continue in verse 7 down to verse 9.
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And there went up also to Jerusalem in the seventh year of
31:06
Arctic. Xerxes, the king, some of the
31:09
people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the
31:12
singers and gatekeepers and the temple servants.
31:15
And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the 5th month, which was in the
31:19
seventh year of the king. From the first day of the first
31:23
month he began to go up from Babylonia.
31:25
And on the first day of the 5th month he came to Jerusalem for
31:29
the good hand of his God was on him.
31:33
So now Ezra is giving a summary of when he left Babylon and made
31:40
his way to Jerusalem. And here's what he says.
31:44
It happened in the seventh year of Uxxy the king, But he took
31:47
off when and verse nine the first day of the first month.
31:51
And when did he arrive there? The first day of the 5th month
31:54
he came to Jerusalem. So how long was that journey
31:58
from Babylonia to Jerusalem for grueling, dangerous testing,
32:07
Challenging months. And this gives us an idea of why
32:15
it was unattractive for many of these exiles to make their way
32:20
back to Jerusalem. And it wasn't just the long
32:23
duration. It wasn't just the dreadful time
32:26
and all the things that you have to endure on the way.
32:29
It was also because it was very, very dangerous to do so.
32:35
I mean, four months on foot, yes, that's unappealing.
32:39
Four months with children and elderly, that that is not
32:42
something that you're going to be willing to sign up for unless
32:44
God doesn't work in your heart. But on top of all of that, just
32:47
the natural course of action. Ezra gives us more detail about
32:53
the dangers of this journey. So go to chapter 8 the next
32:56
chapter and notice what he says here in verse 21.
33:05
Ezra 821 Then I proclaimed the fast there at the river Ahava,
33:13
that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him
33:18
a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.
33:23
For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and
33:26
horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way.
33:30
You see that they had to deal with enemies on the way, not
33:33
just the hot sun and not just the cold desert nights.
33:36
There were people lurking, robbers, people who hated the
33:40
Jews, Satan working through people to try to hinder the
33:44
Jews, coming back to the rightful place against the enemy
33:47
on our way. Since we had told the King, the
33:49
hand of our God is for good on all who seek Him, and the power
33:53
of His wrath is against all who forsake Him.
33:56
So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to
34:01
our entreaty. Ezra was going to be used
34:07
mightily by God in Jerusalem. He is going to be a pioneer for
34:12
a sweet, sweeping historical revival because of his influence
34:20
back home. But all of that wonderful
34:23
testimony would come at a cost, and we saw it.
34:30
The distance, the timing, the dangers, the fasting, the
34:38
praying, the consoling. Who knows what else he had to do
34:41
in order to make it a successful journey for him to get to where
34:45
God wanted him to be. And here's what this teaches you
34:48
and I. Any of us who yearn to be used
34:52
by the Lord cannot, cannot, cannot idolize comfort or
35:02
convenience and expect to be used by God in a meaningful way.
35:10
Ezra paid a price and those who followed him.
35:13
And what this teaches us is that if we want to see God do
35:15
something special, if we want to move beyond just mediocre
35:19
ministry, it's going to require sacrifice.
35:22
It's going to require consistency through adversity.
35:26
It's going to demand a constant watchfulness to resist the
35:30
temptation of coasting through this life with the pursuit of
35:36
ease. There's some people even
35:38
professing Christian God help them who their main ambition in
35:42
life is to live an easy life. You can't have that mindset and
35:48
expect God to recruit you and I to do something significant for
35:52
His Kingdom. They're irreconcilable, and Ezra
35:57
shows us that here to an extent, and it's very likely that many
36:01
in Babylonia refused to follow Ezra when he decided to go back
36:05
for that reason. Look again at verse 7.
36:08
There's a very important word in Ezra 77.
36:12
I'm sure you'll pick up on it. And there went up also to
36:15
Jerusalem in the seventh year of Arctic Xerxes, the king.
36:17
Some, that's the word, some of the people of Israel.
36:23
And in the ESV at least is repeated again and some of the
36:26
priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers and the temple
36:29
servants, some not all. So even with the second wave, we
36:35
already saw with the first wave that not everybody who were in
36:38
Babylon decided to go back. Now we come to the second
36:41
opportunity where you have the backing of the king at the time
36:45
saying go and here's all the resources to help you and still
36:49
still some wrap your hand around that one.
36:57
But I want to look at it from Ezra's perspective.
36:59
I mean, this man, as we're going to see in the rest of the book
37:02
of Ezra, he's remarkable. He is godly, like he's
37:06
consistent, he's righteous. When he sees the people going
37:09
back at the sin, he's going to weep.
37:11
He's going to fast over it. He's not casual about this.
37:14
This is his life and he's so insightful in the word.
37:18
I mean, when we're going to look at the revival that he's going
37:20
to lead, all he's really doing is reading the scriptures and
37:23
people are going to be cut to the heart.
37:27
And yet as influential and as insightful.
37:30
Listen, Ezra couldn't convince everybody some and let this be
37:39
an encouragement to those who are despondent because you can't
37:46
seem to figure out why everybody in your world doesn't share in
37:50
your passion for God and for His Word and for the ministry and
37:54
for the local church and for the lost.
37:59
I've received some wonderful godsend advice throughout my
38:04
life, especially in ministry. And one of the things that I
38:06
appreciated from somebody is that they said resist the urge
38:11
of focusing on those in the church who don't even really
38:15
want to be there to begin with. Don't, don't get so caught up in
38:21
those who are not coming to church.
38:23
Reserve your energy and your service to those who do come.
38:29
Don't gear your messages to those who are not paying
38:32
attention during the service. Look at those who have come with
38:35
an open heart and an open Bible and focus on them.
38:41
And in the same way you and I, no matter what our height of
38:45
holiness is right Ezra here and only bringing some doesn't
38:50
discredit his walk with the Lord.
38:52
It doesn't mean that he wasn't faithful to the truth.
38:55
It just means every person has a choice.
38:57
And listen, there are some people who no matter what you
39:00
say to them or how you live, who don't want the things of God.
39:07
And what you need to determine is God give me the grace to
39:12
serve and to reserve what you've deposited me for those who do
39:16
want it and to help them and bless them and equip them.
39:24
So as Ezra makes his way, there are some who are going to follow
39:27
him. And I want you to notice
39:29
something else because we're almost finished here.
39:33
There's a phrase that it appears now twice in this chapter, at
39:38
the end of verse 9. Did you see it?
39:39
Look at it again, for the good hand of his God was on him.
39:48
As we advance and the three remaining chapters of this book,
39:52
that same phrase is going to appear four more times.
39:57
The good hand of the Lord, the good hand of God was upon them,
40:00
upon him. So clearly, whatever this means,
40:03
it's an integral part to Ezra's testimony.
40:06
But what does it mean? If you look at that phrase
40:12
throughout the Scripture, both in old and new, it sometimes
40:16
means God is about to execute judgement that the the hand of
40:21
the Lord was upon this or that and there is going to be
40:25
terrible wrath. But if we just work with Ezra
40:30
and and factor in every single time it is mentioned, we have a
40:34
different conclusion of what this means.
40:37
And it's not a contradiction. It just means that this, this,
40:39
this phrase involves other conclusions.
40:42
It's very inclusive. And here's what we discover.
40:46
This is a metaphor. This is a metaphor for God's
40:49
power, provision, protection, and providential guidance
40:57
resting upon a person's life. In other words, for God's hand
41:03
to be upon Ezra means that his favor and blessing is
41:08
overshadowing him, resulting in some form of success.
41:16
Here's what's so exciting. You find that in the New
41:19
Testament. You find the same thing that's
41:23
happening here with Ezra in the New Covenant.
41:25
Let me give you one example. Go to Acts Chapter 11 and notice
41:30
what happens here at this point when the gospel is going beyond
41:33
Jerusalem and is touching the neighborhood, the Gentile
41:41
surroundings. Look at Acts 11 and verse 20.
41:52
Acts 1120 reads. But there were some of them, men
41:56
of Cyprus and Cyrene, who when coming to Antioch, spoke to the
42:01
Hellenist also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
42:05
And the hand of the Lord was with them.
42:08
Do you see it? And the hand of the Lord was
42:11
with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
42:16
So even in the New Covenant we find the hand of the Lord at
42:20
work, the hand of the Lord blessing and moving upon and
42:24
through His people, bringing about success.
42:29
The true 'cause for success in the ministry of the Church here
42:32
is because God's hand remember a metaphor of his power and
42:37
protection and provision and providential guidance resting
42:41
upon his people. Here's what that tells me.
42:44
At least two things #1 even in the New Testament, this concept
42:49
of God's hand is available, right #2 if that's true, then we
42:57
should seek after it. We should seek after it.
43:02
Perhaps you've heard somebody say that, Perhaps you've said
43:05
that we've heard a minister, or you look at somebody's life.
43:08
You say God's hand is on that person's life.
43:11
That's a biblical term, but I want it to be a reality in my
43:16
life. I don't know about you.
43:17
And here's what's so wonderful about this.
43:22
If you want to do your own personal Bible study in Ezra,
43:24
look at every time the hand of God is mentioned in this book
43:29
and draw a conclusion of what is the fruit of that.
43:32
It's a wonderful thing to see what God's hand on somebody's
43:35
life produces. It's so glorious.
43:38
In fact, it can be a sermon, might be a sermon one of these
43:41
days. But here's where it gets even
43:45
more exciting. We're actually told by Ezra how
43:48
one way that we can have God's hand received and resting on our
43:53
lives. And it's arguably found in the
43:56
most famous verse in the book of Ezra, Ezra 7, verse 10.
43:59
Let's go there, shall we? For Ezra had set his heart to
44:08
study the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach his statutes
44:14
and rules in Israel. How many of you here have heard
44:18
of that verse? Quarter that verse before
44:20
reading it together here tonight?
44:22
Nobody, I hope. Yeah, Few.
44:25
OK, so I'm going to assume that everybody didn't lift their
44:27
hand. Never heard of this verse
44:28
before. If you haven't, this is one of
44:30
the most famous verses in the book of Ezra.
44:33
But unfortunately it's because it's so powerful, people isolate
44:39
it because it's a it's a just a strong statement on its own.
44:45
But remember, we're trying to discover how what we just read
44:47
here in verse 10 relates to making the reality of God's hand
44:52
on our lives more of a possibility.
44:55
How do these things relate? Well, if you again pluck it from
44:58
this chapter, it doesn't relate. But if you keep it in its
45:01
context, then you'll understand that what we have in verse 10 is
45:06
the answer to what we just read at the end of verse 9.
45:10
How do we know that? Because there's a connecting
45:11
word. It's the word for at the
45:14
beginning of verse 10. Do you see it for?
45:17
In other words, let me just do this.
45:18
Look at the end of verse 9 again says here for the good hand of
45:22
his God was on him. Four In other words, the reason
45:28
why God's good hand was upon Ezra is because of what we're
45:32
going to read in verse 1043 things he had set his heart to
45:35
study the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach his statutes
45:39
and rules in Israel. That's why.
45:43
So don't make this mistake in thinking, oh, OK, God's hand,
45:47
His power provision, protection, providential guidance was
45:51
resting on Ezra because he was ascribed.
45:53
That's not what the verse says. The verse doesn't say that he
45:56
was ascribed. It says because his heart was
46:01
set to study God's Word, to do God's Word, and to share God's
46:09
Word. And this is an inseparable
46:13
equation. If you and I want to live this
46:17
life with God's hand over us, this threefold passion must be
46:25
ours. So this is what we have to
46:30
determine tonight. On what level does studying
46:34
God's Word, doing God's Word and sharing God's Word occupy in our
46:41
hearts? Because he had set his heart.
46:46
You know, if you remove that, then you would think it was just
46:48
this was just mere duty. Ezra studied, did the word
46:53
taught it. That's not what it says.
46:54
He says he, he prepared his heart.
46:59
It was his all consuming passion.
47:05
And listen again, I know how we think we might dismiss this
47:08
because, well, I'm not a scribe. I'm not a theologian.
47:11
I'm not a pastor. Remember what Psalm one says
47:14
that the psalmist say. Blessed is the preacher who
47:17
meditates on the law of the Lord, day and night, who
47:19
delights in the law? No, it's blessed is the man.
47:22
Blessed is the man. And equally true, blessed is the
47:26
woman who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on a day
47:29
and night. Not the preacher, not the
47:31
scholar, not the faculty member at your local institution, the
47:36
man, the woman. And God's will for each of us is
47:43
to know Him through His Word. But more than that, you have to
47:48
be willing to study it. Are you thinking?
47:54
Hold on. I know a lot of people who have
47:59
a very familiar and strong awareness of the content of the
48:04
Bible, but their lives are a mess.
48:06
And you know what I want to say in response to that?
48:08
I know them too, because what many people who pursue knowledge
48:14
in God's Word fail to do is honor the equation that Ezra
48:18
sets out in this verse. They come to the Word of God
48:22
excited to know it so that they can teach it.
48:26
And listen, You should be if you're, especially if you're a
48:28
teacher, there should be a level of excitement of gathering truth
48:32
in order to share it with others.
48:36
But there is a priority that you should be just as excited to do
48:41
it before you teach it. What came before teaching what
48:45
you learned doing it. He said.
48:48
It's hard to know to do it and then to teach it.
48:51
You can't skip the middle part and expect God's hand on your
48:54
life. In fact, that's a recipe for
48:59
personal disaster, to study it just to tell other people about
49:02
it. No, Ezra was so careful.
49:06
I mean, he's described for those who are.
49:10
I mean, that that moved me. Doesn't that move you?
49:16
Think about it, that when I approach the Word, my heart
49:19
should be pumping first to discover what God has to say so
49:24
I know how to live. How many people approach the
49:28
Bible that way? Even for teachers, sometimes you
49:31
can get excited because you know you're preaching this Sunday and
49:33
you can't wait to share the golden Nuggets that you find in
49:36
God's Word. Hold on, before you get there,
49:39
you should be just as enthralled by the realization that God's
49:43
about to speak to you in your life before you tell other
49:46
people how to live. That's sobering to me.
49:50
Does my heart get excited to come to the Word to say?
49:53
OK, God, what are you going to say to me as a dad?
49:55
What are you going to say to me as a husband?
49:57
What are you going to say to me as a business owner?
49:59
What are you going to say to me about my private life?
50:00
What are you going to say to me about my engagement with the
50:02
world? What are you going to say to me
50:03
about my relationship? The money?
50:04
Does that ever cross your mind? If it doesn't, don't expect
50:07
God's hand to rest on your life, because this is what God is
50:12
saying. God help us.
50:18
So please don't misunderstand. I'm not merely advocating
50:21
greater knowledge of the Bible. I'm speaking about inspiring
50:24
your affections and governing your decisions to the point that
50:31
it actually moves you to be unashamed, to share it with your
50:36
spouse and to deposit it in the hearts of your children and to
50:41
extend it to your friends and at the right time to shine it
50:47
before the stranger. It's this way of life for the
50:52
man or the woman who can expect God's hand to rest on that life.
50:59
Let me say one final thing before we close.
51:02
Ezra means help, right? And God is going to set him to
51:05
be a help to the remnant in Jerusalem.
51:09
If you and I want to really be of help to those around us, we
51:14
need to apply this same kind of equation.
51:18
We need to know God's Word. We need to live it and be
51:22
willing to share with others. Then we can really be of help to
51:26
ourselves, to the church, and to a dying world.
51:30
We're only getting started with Ezra here in this study.
51:32
There's so much more to learn of him.
51:34
But for now, let us just sit with these truths and ask God to
51:37
make them real to us. Can we do that?
51:39
Let's pray. Your word, Lord, is amazing.
52:02
It is so sharp, it is so precise, so filled with promise.
52:12
And Lord, we've heard the clear application of this section of
52:18
Scripture. We all desire your hand to be
52:20
upon us. We desire your hand to remain on
52:23
Maranatha Bible Church and every ministry represented here.
52:27
And we know that the way to that wonderful reality being secure
52:33
is by setting our hearts upon Your Word.
52:37
We've learned, Lord, that you and your hand on our lives is
52:42
determined by how we handle this book.
52:45
And so Lord, we we ask for a renewed passion to know it for
52:48
ourselves 1st so that we can change and then by your grace be
52:55
a means for others to be changed.
52:59
We pray, Lord, that if this word is not primary in our lives that
53:05
you would change us, Lord, that you would help us understand
53:09
what Ezra saw, that it was given to us.
53:13
You have placed this word in our lives and we live in an age
53:17
where we have so many resources to study it.
53:20
But Lord, we need Your help to do it.
53:24
And we pray, Lord, that You would give us the boldness and
53:26
the love to tell others about it.
53:29
Lord, it is my prayer with my brothers and sisters that our
53:31
friendships would be seasoned by conversations around the
53:36
Scriptures, that we would never shy away to declare the word of
53:42
the Lord and a culture that hates it.
53:46
And Lord, we pray that if there's anybody here who aspires
53:48
to be a spiritual leader in your house, that they would meet the
53:51
credentials, they would honor your qualifications, and that
53:56
you would help this church and every other church here
53:59
recognize future leaders so that they would be a help to your
54:03
people. Lord, thank you for this man,
54:06
Ezra, And thank you more importantly for your son, the
54:09
Lord Jesus who is the greater high priest who offers greater
54:12
help and his priesthood is greater than that of errands
54:16
even in this store. We need your help to understand.
54:19
Lord, we stand to worship you tonight in Jesus name, Amen.
54:24
Amen. Let's stand and let's sing to
54:27
the Lord together. You know what so touches my
54:37
heart when Jesus asks his disciples, do you understand
54:40
these things? And they said yes.
54:42
He called a bunch of unlearned, mostly fishermen, some running
54:46
their own businesses, scribes, scribes.
54:52
And I think that gives us hope, doesn't it?
54:55
I hope your heart is burning as much as mine was throughout this
54:57
Bible study, that there is a way of life that is unlocked when
55:03
one person decides to study, do and share God's Word with
55:08
others. And listen, if you're saying,
55:11
what do you mean share? Well, look, you can't really get
55:14
excited about sharing it unless you first know it and do it
55:16
right and taste it for yourself. But more than that, that is
55:21
accessible for any of us. You don't need formal training
55:26
to imitate Ezra. The disciples didn't have it.
55:29
I mean, they're the greatest teacher in the world for three
55:31
years, but they were outside of the the protocol of the training
55:36
of their day in the religious system.
55:38
And here's the thing that's true for you.
55:40
And I listen in my life, some of the most insightful people I
55:43
know with the word of God didn't have to go to seminary.
55:46
They didn't, they didn't. I'm not against those things.
55:48
I went to Bible school, but you don't need it.
55:52
You don't. And so leave here with
55:54
inspiration that I have this book and hopefully you go to a
55:58
Bible preaching church and you know people who can help explain
56:01
things and more importing the Holy Spirit in you for you to be
56:05
able to pursue this way of life that more and more will cause
56:09
God's hand to rest upon you. That's my desire for each of us.
56:13
So Lord, we just pray that we would leave here with a fresh
56:17
ambition to study your word. Show us what book to start in.
56:20
Show us to be faithful, how to be faithful from book to book.
56:25
Give us the right resources, protect us from the wrong
56:27
resources. Help us do your word more
56:31
importantly to to meet with your word saying God, what do you
56:34
want to say to me? And Lord from there may the word
56:38
do such a work in our hearts that it overflows through our
56:41
mouths and we talk about it over dinner and we we share it with
56:45
our elders. And then Lord, we begin to
56:47
experience the blessing of your hand on our lives.
56:51
The longer we live and abide in your word.
56:55
We love you Lord, continue to guide us through Ezra.
56:58
It may be a lived reality for each of us.
57:01
In Jesus name we pray Amen and Amen.
57:04
Only three chapters left in Ezra.
57:06
Don't miss a week. God bless you.
57:08
We'll see you next week if the Lord wills.
57:11
Take some time to fellowship with one another before you
57:13
leave. We'll see you Sunday if the Lord
57:15
wills as well. God bless you.